Feeder and impression cylinder control for printing presses



April 15, 1952 J. F. BANTHIN FEEDER AND IMPRESSION CYLINDER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed May 1, 1947 INVENTOR. JUHMFBAMTHIM v AT TORN E Y April 15, 1952 J. F. BVANTHIN FEEDER AND IMPRESSION CYLINDER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed May 1, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR.

J 01m 1 Blur THIN BY W MiZNE Y A ril 15, 1952 J. F. BANTHlN FEEDER AND IMPRESSION CYLINDER CONTROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 1, 1947 INVENTOR. JUH F BAISITHIH April 15, 1952 J. F. BANTHlN v '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 1, 1947 INVENTOR. JUHNE BANTHIN ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 FEEDER AND IMPRESSION CYLINDER CON- TROL FOR PRINTING PRESSES John F. Banthin, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application May 1, 1947, Serial No. 745,262

5 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful im-' provements in printing presses and has particular relation to a pneumatic valve system for controll e f eding of paper sheets to a printing press and simultaneously controlling the impression cylinder for the on and off positions.

An object of the invention is to provide a press including a system or means whereby on A failure of the vacuum suckers to deliver a sheet of paper to the impression cylinder, the latter will be held against movement toward the type or toward on position whereby application of ink to the cylinder blanket is prevented.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

. Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the present mechanism applied to a press, the parts being in position for the vacuum suckers to remove a sheet from a stack;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the parts positioned as when a sheet has just been delivered to the impression cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts with the impression cylinder locked in "off position;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken as along the line 44 of Fig. 1, the stack of sheets being omitted; and 9 Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view showing details of construction.

Referring in detail to the drawings, at is generally indicated a printing press. but a portion of the same being shown, the type bed and the like being no part of the present invention and being omitted. The press Iil comprises a cast base or frame I I on which the various parts are mounted, such parts including an impression cylinder l2, mounted as between brackets I3, and a feeder table or support M for a stack of paper, cardboard or the like I to be printed. The feeder table is equipped with front guides |5a and with other required guides (not shown), all as is usual in the art.

The present invention is concerned with a system or means for retaining the impression cylinder l2 in elevated or off position at such times as the delivery mechanism may fail to deliver a piece of paper or the like during operation of latter moves under the cylinder during each cycle of the machine's operation. Thus, when the feeder mechanism fails to deliver a sheet of paper and the machine proceeds through its normal cycle, the type will engage the impression blanket on the cylinder inking such blanket and thereafter the next sheet of paper will have an offset transfer on its reverse side as it takes up ink from the impression blanket! 7 To avoid this, the impression blanket must be changed. According to the present invention, when during a cycle of the machines operation the feeder mechanism fails to deliver a sheet to the impression cylinder, the latter is retained in its upper or inoperative or "off position and its banket willnot be engaged by the type as the type bed is carried under the cylinder.

The means of the invention is controlled by the suction used in the feeder mechanism. Such mechanism, as here shown, includes feeder brackets l6 and a pair of arms I! and I 8 mounted on horizontal pivots IS in the side portions 20 of the frame ll. At their upper ends arms I! and iii are connected by a manifold 2| which applies a vacuum or suction to suckers 22 through tubular flexible connections 23. applied to the manifold from a pump 24 driven by a motor 25 as through a belt 26 and pulley 21. From the pump, a pipe 28 leads to a T-fitting 29, one branch of which is connected with a vacuum gauge 30 and'to the other branch? of which is connected a pipe or tube 3] leading to a valve body 32 mounted on one of the'fr'ame sides 20. i

From this valve body 32, a pipe 33 leads to a valve body 34. Valve body 32 is hollow having a passage 35 opening through its upper side 1 and also communicating with the pipes 3| and arm 43 notched whereby to provide it with a' The suction is tion.

3 shoulder 44, the purpose of which will later ap pear. The pump 24 is equipped with a pet cock 45 while the valve body 34 is equipped with a similar device 46. A trip lever for the lid 36 is designated 41 and the same is mounted on a pivot 48 located toward one end of said trip lever whereby the same is eccentrically mounted. The inner or longer end portion 49 of this lever 41 normally underlies the extended portion of the lid 36 and is normally retained in a lower position as by a spring 41a on the pivot 48 (see Fig. 4) whereby the lid is closed as in Figs. 1 and 3. V

Extending upwardly from a coupling 59 located in the line 33 is a tube of rubber or other flexible material which at its upper end communicates with the interior of the manifold 2|. At spaced points, this tube is clipped to the arm I? as at 52. From the above, it will be understood that when the pump 24 is operating, a suction is created through the line 3! and within the valve bodies 32 and 34 and through the pipe or tube El and the manifold 2| to the suckers 22. Sucti-on'is also applied to the inner end of the plunger 31 andwhen the'lid is closed and the suckers are holding a piece of paper, the suction is sufiicient to maintain the plunger 31 in an inner posi- The manifold 2 I is actually supported by arms 53- of levers which are pivoted intermediate or their ends as at 54 to the outer ends of the arms I! and'lB. Each of these levers includes a second arm 55 to therear end of which are pivotally attached the: upper ends of rods 58, which rods also pass through guide lugs 57. Coil springs 58 on; the respective rods between one lug 51 and a shoulder or nut 59 and normally bearing against said nut, tend to rock the pivoted levers whereby their .arms 53 are rocked downwardly or clockwise about the pivots 54.

Extensions 60' from the feeder brackets to pivotally mount a feed plate 5| at its ends carrying rigid forwardly'projecting extensions 62 which at their outer ends, in positions over. the cylinder I12, support head stops. 63. The pivot 1. r the. fed plate Ellis. designated Bla. Exten- 6.0: have pivoted to their outer endsLshort 164 at' least one of which is pivotallyycond to the upper end of a link 65,.the lower SL617This beli-crank is operated by means (not shown) conventional in the art, for rocking the arms 64 to have a roller 67 thereon engage the feeder plate Bl and elevate it and thereby the head; stops 63 as from the position of Fig. 1 to that of ;Fig. 3..

The lowerend of the feeder arm I1 is provided with a crank-like extension l'la',v to the outer end of which is pivotally connected 9. link 68. The lower end of said link is pivotally connected to an arm 69 of a rocker 10 pivoted intermediate its ends'as at H and at the outer end of an arm l2carrying a roller 13 located in the came groove "14- of a cam 15.. Cam 15 is mounted on a shaft I6 also mounting a gear Ti and which gear is meshed with'a gear 18 on a shaft 19 carrying a cam 80;

V Thesegears l1 and 18 are driven in any suitable manner (not shown) and as the cam 15 rotates, the rocker arm 10 is rocked up and down about: the shaft H and thereby through the link 68 and. crank. arm Ila, causes shifting of the feeder mechanism and particularly the suckers 22;.from the pick upor loading position of Fig. 1 to the drop off position of Fig. 2 and then back.

end ofwhiiihjspivoted to onearm of abell crank During the forward movement of the suckers, a sheet of paper is carried from the stack l5 and at the end of the forwardmovement is delivered to the grippers of the impression cylinder i2.

The impression cylinder I2 is mounted on an eccentric 8! located about a shaft 82 mounting a gear 83 which is driven in a suitable manner (not shown) whereby the impression cylinder is driven in synchronism with the movement of the type bed (not shown). Clearly, turning of the eccentric 81 in one direction or the other will raise or lower the impression cylinder l2 and when the latter is raised, it will be in oil position spaced from the type bed. When the cylinder is lowered, it is in on position and then carries a sheet of paper and presses the latter against the type as the type bed is moved under the cylinder whereby to print on the sheet.

After the type bed passes under the cylinder and makes its impresion, the cylinder is raised and the type bed passed back to its normal position. The eccentric 81, is fast to an arm 34 to the outer end of which is pivotally connected 2. link 85. Said link is connected to a. similar link 85 by means of a rod 81', and link 88 is pivoted at 68 to one branch of a cylinder trip arm 89 which latter is pivoted toward one end as at 9!). Cylinder trip arm. 89 includes a latching extension 91 designed to cooperate with the shoulder 44 of the L-shaped catch device 4i previously described.

Pivotally connected with the trip arm 89 is a link 92 to whichis connected a rod 93 also passing through a pivoted guide 94 mounted on the machine frame ll. A coil spring 95 is mounted on this rod 93 between the guide 94 and a collar 96 and is constantly thrusting against the collar tending to rock the trip arm 89 in a clock-wise direction about the pivot90. A link 91 is pivoted at 98 to the trip arm 89 and at 59. to an arm. Ida of a bell crank lever llll, which latter is pivoted at m2 and includes an arm lll3carrying a roller )4 bearing against the. cam 8%. Clearly, the link 91 is connected with the trip arm 89 in advance of the pivot of the latter. Therefore, on certain movement of the link 91, as toward the left in Figs. 1-3, the trip arm 89 is rocked from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 3'.

Mounted on the arm I! of the feeder mechanism is a stud I65 through which is threadedly adjustable a screw I06 designed to engage the trip lever 41 and rock the same as to the position of Figs. 2 and 5-so as to tilt the lid 36 of the valve body 32 and break and maintain broken the vacuum in the various parts of the system. It will be apparent that the screw I06 is movable with the transfer mechanism from the position of Fig. 1 through to the position of Fig. 2 in which latter position it has rocked the trip lever 41 and caused lifting of the lid 36 of the valve body 32 opening the suction system to atmospheric pressure. Here it is noted that owing to the eccentrio mounting of the trip lever 47 a mechanical advantage is obtained whereby opening movement of the lid 36 is a rapid movement.

When the apparatus is in use, the vacuum gauge 30 serves to indicate and adjust the relative vacuum needed for different kinds and weights of paper to be fed by the feeder mechanism. The pet cock 45' at the vacuum pump and the pet cook 45 at the valve body 34 are used only occasionally as may be required by adjust ing the vacuum at the suckers 22 and the plunger 3'. to compensate for the diiference in weight of the paper as when feeding very light tissue or '5 onioniskin'paper inthe feeder at one time and heavy cardboard at another time.

With the above understanding, assuming that adjustments have been made whereby the proper degree of vacuum will be applied for handling of the stock i to be printed upon, the machine is started. For the present, we will assume that the operation will start from the position of Fig. 1. There thesuckers 22 will pick up the top sheet of paper (customarily means are employed for providing a blast of air against the front edges of the stock in line parallel with the stock so as to separate the upper sheets from the pile). It will be understood that the full suction pressure will be applied through the suckers since the sheet is just ahead of the suckers and the edge of the paper is brought against the head stops.

At this point, in the movement of the feeder mechanism, the screw I06 engages the short arm of the trip lever 41 and actuates the same to have its long arm engage the extended portion of the valve lid 35 raising the same and thereby breaking the vacuum in the system. Since the screw I86 is mounted directly on the arm I! of the feeder mechanism, it is possible to make a direct and accurate setting as to the point of release of the sheet by the suckersand such point may be at any desired place forwardly of the head stops =63.

When the lid 36 is raised and the vacuum in the system broken, the vacuum at the suckers is lost and the latter drop the sheet of-paper at the head stops. The breaking of the vacuum also 'allows the plunger 31 to drop in the valve body 34 as from the position of Fig. 1. to that of Fig. .3 permitting of a corresponding movement of the cylinder locking lever or latch device 4!. Then inthe normal cycle of operation of the machine, the feeder mechanism moves back toward the stock pile and after a very short movement, screw I 08 is out of the way and the spring actuated trip lever 41 moves back to normal permitting the valve lid 38 to close. Therefore, when the suckers get back to the stack of paper and engage a sheet, the vacuum is again reestablished in the system and the suckers grip the paper and the plunger 3Tis raised and the'fee'der mechanism carried forwardly to deliver the new sheet of paperto the impression cylinder. y i If, for any reason, the sheet of paper is not retained Or held by the suckers, as the feeder mechanism moves from the position of Fig. 1 toward the impression cylinder, the vacuum in the system is broken due to the leakage of atmosphere through the suckers. This being true, the plunger 31 in the valve body 34 drops or has dropped to the lower position of Fig. 3. While the cam is operating to move the feeder mechanism as described, the cam 80 acting on the roller I84 also acts on the trip arm 89 and it will be understood that the spring 95 is constantly pressed to shift said trip arm.

' During each cycle of operation of the machine, cam 80, as its high point is approached, acting on the roller I84, rocks the bell crank [0| in a counter clockwise direction and through the link 91 forces the trip arm 89 from the position of Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 3. When these parts are positioned-as in Fig. 1, the spring 95 has acted to cause anupward thrust through the rod or bar 8'! rocking the eccentric 8i and lowering the impression cylinder l2 whereby paper on the cylinder will be engaged by the type.

Then as the high point of the cam rocks the bell crank in a counter clockwise direction the trip arm 8-9 is rocked alsoin a counter clockwise direction against the tendency of the spring. 95 thereby shifting the eccentric 8| in the opposite direction to raise the impression cylinder as to the position of Fig. As this occurs, the latch por tion 9! of the trip arm is carried to a lower position and after the vacuum in the system has been broken, as when the suckers are nbt carrying a piece of paper, and the plunger 31 has been permitted to drop, the L-shaped locking lever or catch device 41 shifts in such .a manner that the latch part 9! enters under the shoulder 44 of the lever whereby the tripping lever 89 is locked down in the position of Fig. 3 with the impression cylinder i2 in its upperor off position.

Thus, while under these circumstances the suckers may have failed to deliver a piece of paper to the impression cylinder, the blanket of the latter will not become soiled by ink from the type since the impression cylinder is locked in this upper or off position. In the normal use of the machine, when the suckers drop the sheet against the head stops, the trip'arm 89 has already moved to a position wherein its latch portion Si is above a position wherein it may be engaged by the catch device t i. At such time, the printing cylinder or impression cylinder is in its on or impression position and the sheet of paper is taken by the cylinder grippers (not shown) and revolved with the cylinder for the printing operation. Thereafter, the paper is taken by the delivery grippers (not shown) and delivered toa pile. H

With the present mechanism, since the cylinder will be locked in off position when the suckers fail to carry a sheet of paper, it will be apparent that the type bed will not accidentally print on the cylinder blanket. Should such happen, the blanket would offset print upon the backs of the next sheets of paper following the accidental operation and thereby spoil the following sheets. Since, with the present mechanism, the

impression cylinder will be locked in its .oif or non-printing position whenever the suckers fail to carry a sheet of paper toward the cylinder, no damage to the cylinder blanket will occur and the feeder mechanism will return to thestock pile, pick up a sheet of paper, bring itoverto the cylinder and the operations will be carried on as usual.

It will be appreciated that there will be no damage to any part when the impression cylinder is locked in off position since the entire movement of the cylinder to on or printing position is brought about by operation of the spring and the present locking mechanism merely functions to prevent such spring from functioning when the suckers fail to carry a sheet during their movement toward the impression cylinder.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is: r

1. In a printing press including an impression cylinder movable between on and ofiFposi tions and in the former of which the cylinderis positioned to have type impress ink on-a sheet carried by the cylinder, vacuum feeder mean '1 eluding suckers for moving a sheet from a pile to said cylinder while the latter is in "off position, eccentric meansfor raising said cylinder to ofi position and lowering it to on. position, a pivoted arm, a connection between said arm and said eccentric means, means alternately cam and spring operated for shifting said arm to move said eccentric means and raise thecylinder to off position and lower the cylinder to on position, a latch rigid with said arm and movable in a predetermined path as said arm is alternately moved by the cam and spring means, a system for applying vacuum pressure to said feeder means, a valve body in said system, asecond body in said system in series with said valve body, said valve body forming a connection between a vacuum pump and said feeder means at a point in said system inwardly of said second body, said valve body adapted to be opened to atmosphere to break the suction in said system and render said feeder means inoperative, means movable with said feeder means to open said valve body in a predetermined position of said feeder means to break said vacuum and have said feeder means deposit a sheet to be printed and to cause closing of said valve body on return movement of said feeder means, a plunger in said second body and adapted to be held inwardly thereof by suction when said valve is closed and said suckers are holding a piece to be printed upon whereby said system is closed, a pivoted catch connected with said plunger and held in inoperative relation out of the path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is closed, and held in the springurged path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is open, and said plunger adapted to move outwardly of said second body and permit said catch to move into locking relation in said spring-urged path of movement of said latch when said system is open to atmosphere whereby to lock said cylinder in off position on said feeder means moving from the paper pile toward said cylinder without said suckers being sealed by a piece of paper whereby on failure of the feeder means to deliver said paper to the cylinder the same will be held in off position during the cycle of the press operation so that the type of the'press may not apply ink to the impression blanket of the cylinder.

2. In a printing press including an impression cylinder movable between on and off positions and in the former of which the cylinder is positioned to have type impress ink on a sheet carried'by the cylinder, vacuum feeder means including suckers for moving a sheet from a pile to said cylinder while the latter is in off position, shiftable means for raising said cylinder to' "on" position and lowering it to on" position, a pivoted arm, a connection between said arm and said shiftable means, means alternately cam and spring operated for shifting said arm to shift saidshi'ftable means and raise the cylinder to off position and lower the cylinder to on position, a latch rigid with said arm and movable in a predetermined path as said arm is alternately moved by the cam and springmeans, a system for applying vacuum pressure to said feeder means, a valve body in said system, a second body in said system in series with said valve body, said valve body forming a connection between a vacuum pump and said feeder means at a point in said system inwardly of said second body, said valve body'adapted to be opened to atmosphere to break the suction in said system and render said feeder means inoperative, means movable with said feeder means to open said valve body in a predetermined position of saidfeeder means to break said vacuum and have said feeder means deposit a sheet to be printed and to cause closing of said valve body on return movement of said feeder means, a plunger in said second body and adapted to be held inwardly thereof by suction when said valve is closed and said suckers are holding a piece to be printed upon whereby said system is closed, a pivoted catch connected with said plunger and held in inoperative relation out of the path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is closed. and held in the springurged path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is open, and said plunger adapted to move outwardly of said second body and permit said catch to move into locking relation in said spring-urged path of movement of said latch when said system is open to atmosphere whereby to lock said cylinder in off position on said feeder means moving from the paper pile toward said cylinder without said suckers being sealed by a piece of paper whereby on failure of the feeder means to deliver said paper to the cylinder the same will be held in off position during the cycle of the press operation so that the type of the press may not apply ink to the impression blanket of the cylinder.

3. In a printing press including an impression cylinder movable between on and off positions and in the former of which the cylinder is positioned to have type impress ink on a sheet carried by the cylinder, vacuum feeder means including suckers for moving a sheet from a pile to said cylinder while the'latter is in off position, shiftable means for'raising said cylinder to off" position and lowering it to on position, a pivoted arm, a connection between said arm and said shiftable means, means alternately cam and spring operated for shifting said arm to shift said shiftable means and raise the cylinder to off position and lower the cylinder to on position, a latch rigid with said arm and movable ina pre-' determined path as said arm is -alternately moved by the cam and spring means, a system for applying vacuum pressure to said feeder means, a body in said system, a plunger" in said body and adapted to be held inwardly thereof by suction when said system is closed, a pivoted catch connected with said plunger and held in inoperative relation out of the path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is closed, and held in the spring-urged path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is open, and said plunger adapted to move outwardly of said body and permit said latch to move into locking relation in said spring-urged path of movement of said catch when saidsystem is open to atmosphere whereby to lock said cylinder in off position on said feedermeans moving from the paper pile toward said cylinder without said suckers being sealed by a piece of paper whereby on failure of the feeder means to deliver a sheet of paper to the cylinder the same will be held in off position during the cycle of the press operation so that the type of the press may" not apply ink to the impressionblanket of the cylinder.

4. In a printing press including a base comprising a frame to have a type bedreciprocate-d horizontally thereon, a feeder table at one end. of said base, an impression cylinder supported by said base over thehorizontal path of the type bed, means mounting said cylinder for vertical movements between on and off positions in the former of which the cylinder is-positioned to have type from a type bed being reciprocated on said frame impress ink on a sheet carried by the cylinder and in the latter of which the cylinder is spaced vertically above the type of a type bed being reciprocated on said frame, a vacuum feeder means for shifting a sheet from said feeder table to said cylinder while the latter is in off position, a system for applying vacuum pressure to said feeder means, an eccentric for raising and lowering said cylinder to and from said oif and on positions, an arm pivotally connected with said eccentric, a spring means constantly acting on said arm to shift the same longitudinally to rock said eccentric in a direction to shift said cylinder to on position, cam means acting on said arm at a predetermined time during the cycle of operation of the press to shift the same and said eccentric against the tendency of said spring to move said eccentric in the opposite direction and shift said cylinder to off position, a latching extension rigid with said arm, and means movable in one direction in response to the vacuum pressure in said system out of the path of movement of said latching extension and in another direction into the path of movement of said latching extension to lock the same and thereby said arm and cylinder against return from off to on position on failure of vacuum pressure in said system.

5. In a printing press including a base comprising a frame to have a type bed reciprocated horizontally thereon, a feeder table at one end of said base, an impression cylinder supported by said base over the horizontal path of said type bed, means mounting said cylinder for vertical movements between on and off positions in the former of which the cylinder is positioned to have typefrom a type bed being reciprocated on said frame impress ink on a sheet carried by the cylinder and in the latter of which the cylinder is spaced vertically above the type of a type bed being reciprocated on said frame, a vacuum feeder means for shifting a sheet from said feeder table to said cylinder whilelthe latter is in off position, an eccentric for raising and lowering said cylinder to and from said off and on positions, a pivoted arm, a connection between said arm and said eccentric means whereby on movement of said arm said eccentric means is moved, means alternately cam and spring operated for shifting said arm to move said eccentric means and raise the cylinder to off position and lower the cylinder to on position during each cycle of the press operation, a latch rigid with said arm and movable in a predetermined path as said arm is alternately moved by the cam and spring means, a system for applying vacuum pressure to said feeder means, a body connected in said system, a plunger in said body and held inwardly thereof by suction when said system is closed, a catch connected with said plunger and held out of the path of movement of said latch when said vacuum system is closed, said plunger adapted to move outwardly of said body and permit said catch to move into the path of movement of said latch when said system is open to atmosphere, and said catch pivoted whereby to be rocked in one direction on" its pivot to permit of movement of the latch past the catch as the arm is moved by said cam means and to engage said latch and prevent movement thereof and of the arm by said spring means whereby to lock said cylinder in off position.

JOHN F. BANTHIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

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